The Supreme Court Rules on the Affordable Care Act: What It Could Mean for Insurers

The Supreme Court’s five-to-four ruling that the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate provision is constitutional because it is a tax is having many immediate consequences. It surprised many observers, positioned Chief Justice John Roberts as one of the most influential Chief Justices in history, gave President Obama a victory, and inspired Mitt Romney and other Republicans to declare they would overturn the legislation. But what will be the long-term impact? Here are opinions, r

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7. A Good Day for the Constitution; Healthcare Policy, Not So Much

Today was a great day for constitutional principle, not such a great day for sound health care policy. In an extraordinary display of legal dexterity, Chief Justice John Roberts crafted an opinion that left the ironically named ‘Affordable Care Act’ mostly intact, while at the same time reaffirming — indeed strengthening — the limited nature of federal power under the Constitution.

— Michael McConnell, director of the Stanford Constitutional Law Center